Fiber cutting machine



y 1 JAYN v. WEINBERGER 2,379,844

Filed July 1:5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JANVWEINBERGER 31' X 7MMM m ATTORNEYS y 1945' JAN v. WEINBERGER 2,319,844

v FIBER CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 13, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TORJANN-WEINBERGER A TOR EYS July 3, 1945. JAN v. WEINBERGER 0 2,379,344

FIBER CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jul 15, 1944 4 SheetsSheet 5 jo \NVENTOF KJANV-WHNBERGER 'ATTO RN EYS July 3, 1945. JAN v. WEINBERGER 2,379,844

FIBER C UTTING MACHINE Filed July 15, 1944 4 Shets-Sheet 4 I JAN-VWEINBERGER 47 v A-rroaNe rs of this invention reference will be had toPatented July 3, 1945' Application July 13, 1944, Serial No. 544,799

In Canada April 17, 1943 9 Claims. on. 164-61) This invention relates toapparatus for cutting tangled masses of long fibers, particularly nylonand other artificial and natural fibers, into small: er masses ofshorter fibers which can be easily separated from each other by acardingmachine.

An important object of'the invention is to provide cutting apparatuswhereby each long fiber, regardless of its arrangement in the mass, willbe cut transversely at a sufllcient' number of points along its lengthto divide it into shorter fibers which can readily be separated fromsimilar short fibers entangled therewith.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained byproviding a fiber cutting machine consisting, essentially, of a seriesof rotary cutters, a fiber holder having two intersecting rows ofgrooves in one surface thereof, the grooves A of each row being open atboth ends and extend Figure 6 is a plan view of the fiber holder as itappears when looking toward the grooved side.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the fiber holder as it appears when. 100toward the side opposite the grooved side. i

Figure 8 is an end view of the fiber holder.

- Figure 9 is a plan view of a slat and end'frame ing entirely acrosssaid surface at right angles to t the grooves of the remaining row, andmeans for retaining a mass of tangled fibers against the rooved surfaceof the holder. The cutters and the fiber holder are first movedrelatively to each other in fiber cutting relation so that the cutterstraverse the grooves of one row and cut through the portions of thefibrous mass which extend across said grooves. The holder is thenre-arranged so that when the cutters and holder-are again movedrelatively to each other in fiber cutting relation, the cutters willtraverse the grooves of the remaining row and will out through portionsof the fibrous mass extending across said mentioned grooves. In this waythe large vmass of fibers carried by the holder is divided, byintersecting cuts, into smaller separate masses of relatively shortfibers which can readily be separated from each other. I Proceeding nowto a more detailed description the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus embodying my inventio Figure2 is a perspective view of a portion or the apparatus and shows themannerin which the fiber holder is guided during the fiber cuttingoperation. p.

Figure3 isaviewsimilartoFigure Zshowing the-manner in which the fiberholder is passed over the rotary cutters in fiber cutting relationthereto.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional viewtaken substantiallyalong the'line 4-4 of Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view takensubstantially along the line 5-5 ot Fig. 4.

assembly which is employed for holdinsa mass of fibers against thegrooved side of the fiber holder; and

Figure is a perspective view 'iliustrating the manner in which the slatand end frame assem-' bly of Fig. 9v is assembled with the fiber holderto hold a mass of fibers in place against the grooved side or theholder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I

5 designates a rotary shaft carrying a plurality of circular cutters 6fixed to revolve therewith. said shaft being arranged between adjacentseparated ends of two table sections I and 8 and being journalled iiisuitable shaft supports 8 ata fiber cuttingtached to said table.sections. One end of shaft 5 is driven by a pulley I0 and belt H from anelectric motor -I m or other suitable prime mover, the direction ofrotation of shaft '5 and cutters I being indicated by arrow i2. v

A series of laterally spaced guide rails II are arranged'on tablesection 1 so that each rail is substantially in line with one of thecutters l.

Similar rails H are arranged on table section 8 in accurate alignmentwith rails It. The rails as integral parts of the table sections.Generally,

however, it is preferred that the rails of each series be formed asseparate elements and adjustably secured to the. underlying tablesections so that the spacing of the railspf each series may be variedwhenever such variation is necessary or desirablei The table sections 1and I and the rails mounted thereon may be made of wood or any othersuitable material. Table sections land 8 may be mounted on supportinglegs II, as shown in the drawings, or on any other suitable supporting.

structure. I A table 28, either portable or stationary, is arr edpposite and in spaced relation to that end of table section 0 which isremote from the cutter 6, the gap separating table Illl from tablesection 8 being bridged by two transfer rails 2| which are used for apurpose hereinafter described.

A table a, similar to the table a, is arr nged opposite and in spacedrelation to that end of table section I which is remote from the cutters6, the gap between table 23 and table section 1 being bridged bytransfer rail 24 corresponding to the previously mentioned rails 2|.

The various table elements-and transfer railsmentioned in the precedingdiscussion are utilized to guide and support and to facilitate thenecessary manipulation of the fiber holder 26 which,

during each cutting operation, is moved over the cutters 6 from astarting position on table 20 to a finishing position on table 23. Thepreferred construction and. assembly of the fiber holder 26 and thefiber retaining means associated therewith is clearly illustrated inFigs. 6 to l'inclusive. As here shown, the fiber holder 26 comprises arectangular member having one surface thereof interrupted by two rows ofintersecting grooves, the

component grooves of each row being parallel with each other and open attheir opposite ends and extending entirely acros said surface at rightangles to the grooves of the companion row. These two sets of grooves,respectively indicated at 21 and 28,-obviously) serve to divide thegroovedsurface of the holder into a plurality of spaced, rectan'gula'rareas 29 which may be covered by emery paper, card clothing, or otherfiber engaging means'for reducing slippage between the holder and themeans of fibers 3| (Fig. which is held against and completely covers theentire-area of the grooved surface of the holder. A row of slat engaginpins 32 project from the grooved surface of the holder along each of itsmarginal edges, said 'pins being adapted, as shown in Fig.

9, to extend through suitable holes 33 provided in thefiber retainingslats 34 which serve to hold the mass of fibers against the groovedsurface of the holder.

A pair of grooved rollers 31 are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 38projecting outwardly from those marginal edges of holder 26 which lieparallel with grooves 27. A second pair of grooved rollers 39 aresimilarly mounted'on stub shaft 40 ginal edges of said holder. Aplurality of casters 4! are swingably attached to the surface of holder26 opposite that inwhich the grooves 21 and- 28 are provided.

The slats 34 are assembled with theholder 26 so that they are separatedfrom each other by intervening cutter receiving spaces which are alignedwith those grooves of the holder which are to be traversed by thecutters 6 during the cutting operation. For example, in the case ofthe-holder and slat assembly shown in Fig. 10 it is assumed that thegrooves 21 of the holder will be traversed bythe cutters 6 during the.initial fiber cutting operation. In thiscase the slats 34 are fitted onthe pins 32 so that they lie between and in parallelrelation with thegrooves 21, adjacent slats being separated from each other by anintervening cut ter receiving space. which is directly opposite one ofthe grooves 21; Since the slats 34 are necessarily formed as separateelements it is desirable that some means he provided whereby said slatsprojecting outwardly from the remaining -marare provided with holes 48registering with transverse holes 49 provided in the slats, a lockingbar 56 being passed through said holes 48 and 49, as shown at the rightof Fig. 9, to secure the slats and end frame in assembled relationthereby enabling the operator to handle all of the slats as a unit bygrasping the handle members 5| carried by the end frame bars 44.

The slats 34 are rabbeted as indicated at 53 to accommodatethe rails l3and I4 which support and guide the slats when the holder 26 is movedsuch as that indicated at 3|, so that portions of said mass extendacross and cover the grooves 21 and 28. The slats 34, having the endframes 43 assembled therewith as previously described, are then fittedon the pins 32 so that the-slats lie between and parallel with thegrooves 21 and with the rabbeted surfaces of the slats facing upwardly.This assembly is initially arranged on table 26 with the supportingcasters 4| resting on the upper surface of the table and with the slats34 lying parallel with the cutters 6.'- The holder 26 is then'moved .tothe left so that the grooved rollers 31 leave the table 20 and ride upon the transfer rails -2|, which cooperate with said rollers to maintainthe slats 34 and the grooves 21 in proper relation to the cutters 6.After-the grooved rollers 31 have traveled a suitable distance along thetransfer rails 2| the holder 26 and the associated slats are arranged ina vertical position by swinging them in an anticlockwise direction aboutthe pivotal supports afforded by the rollers 31 and their supportingshafts 38. The fiber holder and slats, after being arranged in saidvertical position asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, aremovedagainst the right hand end of table section 8 andare then disposedin a horizontal position -on said table section 8 by'further turningmovement thereof in an anti-clockwise direction about the aforesaidpivotal supports. It will thus be seen that the fiber holder 26 and theslats 34 are arranged on table section 8 in' an inverted position ascompared with the position which they occupy on the table 26. The fiberholder 26 and associated slats 34 are then pushed to the'left a short.dis-.

" support the rabbeted portions 63 of the slats.

- The fiber holder and the associated slats are not moved overthecutters 6 until after the end.

.removal of the end frames is accomplished by.

pulling out the end frame locking rods 50 and then disengaging andremoving'the end frames from the engaging ends of-the slats. After-thisremoval of the end frames the fiber holder and the slats are moved tothe left lover the revolving cutters 6 and onto the table section 1,whose guide rails I3 are also accommodated between the spacedrabbetedportions 53 of the slats..-After the fiber holder and theslats have beenmoved beyond the cutters 6 the end frames 43 are reassembled with' theslats so that'the latter may be held in place during the transfer of thefiber holder from the table section I to the table 23.

last mentioned transfer of-the fiber holder eaves-re 3 is accomplishedby moving it to the left until the grooved rollers 31 leave the table Iand ride up upon the transfer rails 24. .During travelling movement ofthe grooved rollers 31 along the transfer rails 24 the fiber holderandthe associated slats are turned in an anti-clockwise direction throughan angle of approximately 180? so that the fiber holder may be depositedon table 23 with the caster carrying surface of the holder facingdownwardly, the slats 34 being thus disposed above the holder so thatthey can be convenientiy removed and then re-assembled with the holderin preparationgfor a second cutting operation in which the cutters 6traverse the grooves 28'. In preparing for this second cutting operationthe slats, with the end frames 43 assembled' therewith, are removed fromthe holder and then re-assembled therewith so that the slats now liebetween and parallel with the grooves 28. The resulting assembly is thenarranged in a (starting position on table 20 with the slats 34 facingupwardly and lying parallel with the cutiters B. The fiber holder andthe slats are then moved, by the same procedure as previously described,from their starting position on table 23 to their finishing position ontable .20 and, during the course of this movement, the grooves 28aretending across these grooves along lines paralleling said grooves,During the second cutting operation, the cutters 6 traverse the grooves28 and cut'through overhanging portions of the fibrous mass alonglinesat right'angles to the first cuts, thereby-dividing themass of fibersinto smaller masses of substantially rectangular outline, the fiberscontained in such smaller masses being relatively short and easilyseparated from the component short fibers entangled therewith. Smallsloping projections 60 are preferably arranged on the rails l3 so astoclear the spaces between the slats 34 of fibers which have been forcedinto these spaces during the cutting operation. It is important thatthese spaces be cleared aftenthe cutting operation in order to have beentransferred from the table section I to the table 23. j I

After completion of the first cutting operation described herein, thesecond cutting operation may be accomplished by reassembling the holderand the fiber retaining slats on the table 28 with the slats lyingbetween and parallel with the groove 28, then inverting thisassembly,and then moving it over the cutters 8 from a, starting position on table23 to a finishing position on table 20. In this case thedirection ofrotationof the cutters will be reversed for the second cutting operationthrough the agency of a I reversin switch on the motor Ila or in anyother, suitable manner; I i

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodimentof this invention it will be understood that various modifications maybe resorted to within the scope and spirit of, the invention asdefined'by the appended claims.

I claim: I.

grooves extending across one surface thereof, a series of separate slatsfor holding a mass of iibers against the grooved surface of said basemember so that portions of the mass extend across said grooves, saidslats being assembled with the base member so that they lie between andparallel with said grooves and end frames detachably secured to oppositeends of said slats to enable them to be, handled,)as a unit, saidcutters and said fiber holder. assembly being movablerelatively to eachother in fiber cutting association so that the cutters are receivedbetween the slats and travel across the entire length of the slats andgrooves in suchmanner as to cut throush those portions of the fibrousmass which extend across the grooves. e

2. Fiber cutting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which each endframe includes slat-spacing projections for insertion insockets-provided in the ends of the slats with which the end frame isassociated.

3. Fiber cutting apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which each endframe is provided with slat-' spacing projections fitted in socketsprovided in the adjacent ends of the slats and is also provided v withparallel end portions extending a short disportions of each frame andthrough registerinfl 1 transversely extending holesprovided in said Islats. V

4. Fiber cutting apparatus as set forth in claim and in which the slatsare provided with openings inwhich the pins are fitted to hold the slatsm at; a

5. Fiber cutting apparatus} comprisim a series of rotary cutters mountedon a stationary shaft. a fiber holder having one surface thereofinterrupted by two rows of intersecting grooves, the component groovesof each row being parallel with each other and open at'f'their oppositeends and extending entirely across said surfaeeat right angles to thegrooves of the companion row, means for retaining'a mass of fibersagainst the grooved surface of the holder so that portions of said massextend across said grooves, said means comprisingla plurality of slatsadapted to be selective y assembled with the holder 50 that said slatslie between and parallel with the grooves of a selected one of saidrows, supporting means over which the fiber holder is movablerelatively'to the cutters in fiber cutting association therewith so thatthe cutters are received between the slats and traverse the lengths ofthe grooves lying parallel I I 5 in which the fiber holder and the slats'are pro- 1. Fiber cutting apparatuscomprising a series vided withintereugaging means for holding the slots in properly spaced relationand preventin displacement of'the slats during the cutting operation.- II i v 7.;l 'iber cutting apparatuscomprislns a rotary shaft mounted instationary bearings. a plurality or laterally spaced circular cuttersfixed to rotate with said shaft, table sections arranged at oppositesides of said shaft, a fiber holder provided with two rows of-intersecting grooves extending across one surface thereof, thecomponent grooves of each row being parallel with each other and open attheir opposite ends and extending entirely across-said surface at rightangles to the grooves of the companion row and means for retaining amass of fibres against the grooved surface of the holder so that saidmass extends across said grooves, said means comprising aplurality ofslats adapted to be selectively assembled with the holder'so that saidslats lie between and parallel with the grooves of a selected one ofsaid rows.

said holder being adapted to be initially arranged on one of said tablesections with the grooves permit the aforesaid 'cutting operation to befrepeated with theholder re-arranged so that, when the holder is againpassed across the cutters from one table to the other'during the secondcutting operation, the cutters traverse the remaining grooves of thholder and cut through the portions or the fibrous mass extending acrosssaid remaining grooves, said slats being re-assembled with theholderprior to the second cutting operation so that, during said-secondcutting operation, they lie between and parallel with the groovestraversed by said cutters.

8. A fiber holder, of the character described comprising a memberprovided with a row of parallel cutter-receiving grooves extendingacross one surface thereof, pins projecting upwardly 'from.margina1portions of said member and means for holding a mass of fibers againstthe grooved surface of said member so that portions of the mass extendacrossthe grooves, said means comprising a plurality of slats adapted tobe assembled with the member so that the slats lie between and parallelwith said grooves, said slats being provided with openings in which saidpins are fitted to hold the slats against longitudinal or lateraldisplacement relative tosaid member.

9. A fiber holder of the character described comprising a member havingtwo intersecting rows of grooves in one surface thereof, the grooves ofeach row being open at both ends and extend- 4 ing entirely across saidsurface at right angles to the grooves of the remaining row and meansfor 4 retaining a mass of tangled fibers against the Q grooved surfaceof said member so that portions of themass extend across all of saidgrooves, said means comprising a plurality of slats adapted to beselectively-assembled with said member so as to lie between. andparallel with the grooves of either row and pins projecting from thegrooved surface of said member and adapted to be fitted in openingsprovided in said slats to hold the slats against longitudinal or lateraldisplacement relative to said member. JAN V. WEIN'BLRGER.

